Carving-fork.



P. H. BRANSHAW.

GARVING FORK. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1908.

Patented July 27, 1909.

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ANDREW. I. GRAHAM 00,. Mumunmkumins. WASHINGVBN, 0-61 UNITED sTATEs PATENT orrion FREDERICK H. BRANSHAW, OF WINONA, MICHIGAN.

CARVING-FORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. BRAN- siuw, a citizen of the United States, residing at inona, in the county of Houghton,

State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carving- Forks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a fork and more particularly to the class of carving forks for handling all kinds of meats.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of fork having pivotally connected thereto a rocking arm terminating at the fork end in a jaw or grapple extremity and at the opposite end in a lever forming a handle terminal and said aw or grapple extremity being maintained normally closed with respect to the forked end by a spring member acting upon the arm, whereby when the forked end engages a piece of the meat or other substance the same may be held thereto by the jaw or grapple endof the arm thus preventing the meat or other substance from slipping off of the fork when in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fork having means for maintaining meat or other substance thereupon when in use and which is simple in construction, efficient in operation and inexpensive in the manufacture.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention, for example, consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully.described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred form of embodiment of the invention, although it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to such as come properly within the scope of the claim hereunto appended without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the clip or clasp on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a fragmentary view partly broken away to show in detail the spring connection.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 22, 1908.

Patented July 27, 1909.

Serial No. 439,778.

In the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a handle having a bifurcation 6 in one end thereof to form separated portions 7 and into which bifurcation between the separated portions 7 of the handle is mounted the shank 8 of a fork 9 having curved spaced tines 10 forming the forked extremity thereof.

Upon the inner bifurcated end of the handle 5 is mounted a substantially U-shaped clip or clasp 12 having spaced parallel ears 13 provided with registering openings let through which pass a bolt fastener 15 forming a pivot engaging a transverse perforation 16 of an enlargement 17 formed on a rocking arm 18. The said clip or clasp 12 is secured to the handle 5 at its inner end by a fastener 19 to prevent displacement of the clip or clasp on the handle and to secure the same together. The rocking arm 18 is extended at one end and bent on itself to form a curved jaw or grapple finger 20 which is normally adapted to intersect the space between the tines 10 of the fork 9 and which jaw or grapple finger 20 works to and from the said tines and is adapted to hook meats or other substances or articles which it may be desired to lift by the fork. The opposite end of the rocking arm 18 terminates in an outwardly inclined handle or gripping extremity 21 whereby the said jaw or grapple finger 20 may be opened or swung from the tines 10 of the fork.

Connected to the bolt fastener 15 is one end of a bowed leaf spring 22 and having its hearing at this end against one face of the handle 5 whereas the opposite end has its bearing against the underface of the arm 18 so as to normally maintain its jaw or grapple finger in a closed position or intersecting the space between the tines 10 of the fork.

In use, for example, in lifting substances such as meat or other articles the tines 10 are thrust into the meat or other substance and preparatory thereto the handle 21 of the rocking arm 18 is moved toward the handle 5 of the fork against the tension of the bowed spring 22 to open the jaw or grapple finger 20 so as to permit the meat or other substance to properly engage the tines 10 and then by releasing the handle 21 of the rocking arm, the jaw or grapple finger 20 will be automatically closed to bite into the meat or other substance to maintain the same upon the fork.

What is claimed is s A device of the class described comprising a handle having a bifurcated end formed of ple finger in a position intersecting the fork, a socket, a fork having a shank fitted within and a bolt fastener passing through the clip, the bifurcated end of the handle, a clip surhandle, shank and spring to hold the same rounding the bifurcated end, a grapple finsecurely assembled.

5 ger adapted to intersect the space between In testimony whereof, I atfix my signature, 1:)

the for: and terminating in an arm coexin presence of two witnesses. tensive with the handle, a pivot pin connect- FREDERICK H, BRANSHAV. ing the arm of the grapple finger with said Vitnesses: clip, a bowed spring interposed between the DANIEL J. VVnssELs,

1o handle and arm to normally hold the grap- VILLIAM CRAZE. 

